Latest Articles
Home Sweet Horror: Paranoid Thriller ‘Tender’ Nabs Closing Night Spot at Dances with Films
If you think your current financial situation is stressful, writer and director Adam Hoelzel is here to make you feel a whole lot better about your bank account. Hoelzel is proud to announce that his debut directorial feature, Tender. It will celebrate its World Premiere as the prestigious Closing Night Film of Dances With Films in LA on June 28th. While it is his directing debut, Hoelzel is no stranger to high-stakes tension. He penned the screenplay for the Daniel Radcliffe-led thriller Beast of Burden. A Psychological Nightmare Described as a slow-burning psychological nightmare, the film follows a married couple drowning in debt. They unexpectedly stumble upon what looks like absolute financial salvation right inside the walls of their own house. Unfortunately for them, their initial jubilation quickly curdles into a toxic obsession. As their desperate plan to escape financial ruin spirals out of control, it breeds an infectious wave of suspicion, paranoia, and total psychological collapse. Blending escalating dread
Continue reading →
Trust Nobody, Especially Not the Toaster: Focus Features Unveils Trailer for ‘Hot Spot’
If you’re already stressed about algorithms controlling your life, Focus Features is ready to amplify that anxiety into a full-blown existential crisis. The studio has announced that Hot Spot, a hypnotic neo-noir thriller, will officially hit theaters this August. Ahead of its summer debut, a brand-new trailer gives audiences a glimpse into a world where tech support definitely won’t save you. Murder, Mayhem, and AI The film is set in a near-future where society is governed entirely by sentient artificial intelligence. It follows a weary private investigator tasked with investigating a murder. However, things quickly go off the rails when he uncovers a covert rebel faction possessing the exact tools needed to undermine their digital overlords. As the detective digs deeper into the cyber conspiracy, the investigation takes a psychologically charged turn. His very identity begins to unravel, sending his reality into a hypnotic, neon-drenched meltdown. While it is part classic detective story, part digital fever dream, it is a
Continue reading →
Crash Into the Shark-Filled Film ‘Deep Water’ – Out Now
Fasten your life vests and secure your tray tables, shark enthusiasts. The survival thriller Deep Water is officially ready to plunge you into an absolute worst-case scenario. Directed by action maestro Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger), this high-octane adventure boasts a stellar cast led by Golden Globe nominee Aaron Eckhart and Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley. The duo is officially reuniting for the first time since the 2004 serial killer thriller Suspect Zero. The Crash is Just the Beginning Imagine an international flight plummeting from the sky and crash-landing perfectly into shark-infested waters. As the fuselage begins to flood, panic surges among the surviving passengers. They are trapped inside a sinking metal tomb surrounded by hungry predators. To make it out alive, this highly mismatched group must overcome their differences and work together to escape the ultimate underwater death trap. A Director’s Childhood Dream Comes to Life For director Renny Harlin, bringing this wet-and-wild disaster to life is
Continue reading →
Spoiler-Free Reviews: MARGINALIA and BURNT FLOWERS (GenreBlast 2025)
MARGINALIA (U.S., 2025) Official synopsis: Summoned to Karnstein Abbey to serve as a mourner at the funeral of their recently deceased abbess, Sister Trista discovers a dark secret involving demons, witchcraft and killer rabbits. But Sister Trista has a secret of her own. Nunsploitation, a Hammer Films’ horror vibe, and the retro charm and surreal qualities of filmmaker Guy Maddin’s work: Writer/director/editor/cinematographer Mark Beal’s beautifully bizarre Marginalia has all this and more. This black-and-white supernatural feature will win cinephiles over with its atmosphere to spare, which includes impressive practical effects work, cool stop-motion creatures, and wonderful medieval set design, costumes, and illustrations. Composer Alexander Hellonious’s evocative score fits the proceedings perfectly. Beal kicks things off right away with one of the most imaginative demises you’re likely to see this year. The cast members do a fine job with their committed performances, led by Jessica Bell as Sister Trista. Beal does assured work at the helm, and as he did with
Continue reading →
Capps Crossing: Wrong Side of Dead – Because Trips to the Woods Always Go So Well
If horror movies have taught us anything, it’s that celebrating your birthday deep in the wilderness is basically an open invitation to be hunted. Lionsgate’s upcoming psychological thriller, Capps Crossing: Wrong Side of Dead, is here to prove that rule once again when it arrives On Demand and Digital on July 28. Directed by Mike Stahl, the film promises plenty of tension, psychological mind games, and a stark reminder never to trust the local park staff. Surviving the Ultimate Bad Trip The plot follows Amber, whose birthday getaway with friends goes sideways faster than you can say “scenic overlook.” Enter a demented park ranger with a deeply tortured past and a sudden urge to turn their weekend into a masterclass in terror. Fortunately for Amber, she’s not your average running-and-tripping horror protagonist. She’s a stellar athlete and a brilliant social profiler—meaning she’s got the brains to match her cardio. Forced to use every tool in her survival arsenal, Amber must
Continue reading →
One Last Trip to the Upside Down: Stranger Things Season 5 is Coming to Halloween Horror Nights
If you thought navigating the final season of Netflix’s global phenomenon from the safety of your couch was stressful, Universal Studios is about to ruin your heart rate completely. The Upside Down is officially staging its grand return to Halloween Horror Nights this fall with all-new haunted houses based entirely on the acclaimed fifth and final season of “Stranger Things.” The screaming officially starts on Friday, August 28, at Universal Orlando Resort and Thursday, September 3, at Universal Studios Hollywood. Hawkins is Collapsing (And You’re Invited) Developed in a very cozy partnership with Netflix, this year’s house drops you directly into the visceral, gripping center of the ultimate battle to save Hawkins. The barrier between reality and the supernatural is collapsing, and the local tourism board has clearly given up. As you navigate the wreckage, you’ll trek through iconic locations like the Wheeler House, the Hawkins National Laboratory, and the MAC-Z military base. Naturally, you’ll also take a stroll through
Continue reading →
Feel the Burn (And the Blade): Horror Flick ‘Slashercise’ is Ready to Kill Your Cardio
Get ready to work up a killer sweat—and maybe spill some actual blood. Part horror movie, part retro fitness tape, the genre mashup Slashercise is officially ready to slice into your workout routine. If you’ve ever felt like your gym’s personal trainers were trying to kill you, this movie is about to validate your worst fears. High Reps, High Body Count Written and directed by Ama Lea (Deathcember), this gloriously retro feature follows a masked psycho known only as Meathead. Meathead is actively stalking the trendy fitness clubs of Los Angeles. He’s turning neon-drenched workout sessions into total, blood-soaked nightmares. As the city’s top trainers are picked off one by one, a group of determined fitness fanatics has to band together to fight back before they become the next chalk outlines on the yoga mats. “Slashercise is a blood-soaked love letter to 1980s workout videos and slasher movies,” says filmmaker Ama Lea. The Class Roster: Horror Royalty in Spandex You
Continue reading →
First Teaser Drops for Dillon Brown’s Horror ‘A Man in the Woods with an Axe’
Horror Dadz Productions has officially unleashed the first teaser trailer for A Man in the Woods with an Axe, the latest genre-bending project from indie horror writer-director Dillon Brown. But before you start placing bets on the final girl or predicting the order of the teenage body count, the filmmakers have a blunt warning: this movie is a massive trap. The Bait-and-Switch: More ‘Truman Show’ Than ‘Friday the 13th’ While the title practically screams “camp counselor massacre,” Brown is using your love of 1980s backwoods slashers against you. What starts as a comforting, clichéd horror setup quickly morphs into a surreal nightmare. “We wanted the title to create certain expectations,” Brown teased. “The fun comes from pulling the rug out from under the audience. This isn’t simply a movie about a man in the woods with an axe. The deeper viewers go, the more they’ll realize something very unusual is happening beneath the surface.” Practical Effects > CGI In a
Continue reading →
Mad Cave Studios Announces ‘Escape from New York: Escape from Chicago’ Comic Series
He’s back, he’s still wearing the eyepatch, and no—he’s not dead. Mad Cave Studios is bringing John Carpenter’s ultimate antihero back to the printed page this fall with Escape From New York: Escape From Chicago. Launching this September, the new continuation series officially expands the dystopian, synth-scored world of the 1981 cult-classic film. Steering the escape pod for this adventure is writer Kyle Higgins (Radiant Black, No One), with artist Val Rodrigues (The Pale Knight). Together, they’re throwing Snake Plissken right back into the kind of high-stakes, maximum-violence chaos that defined ’80s sci-fi. Sweet Home, Dystopian Chicago You know the rules: once you go in, you don’t come out. Unless, of course, your name is Snake Plissken. This time around, Snake is scraping by as a “coyote.” He’s smuggling desperate people and highly illegal contraband across the heavily armed dead zones between fractured prison territories. It’s a miserable, brutal gig. But when a high-paying client hires him to extract a
Continue reading →
Dead Ends Films Drops First Trailer for Horror Comedy ‘The Yellow Balloon: The Curse of Vincent Vile’
If you thought Pennywise gave balloons a bad rap, wait until you meet Ringmaster Vincent Vile. Dead End Films has unleashed its micro-budget horror-comedy The Yellow Balloon: The Curse of Vincent Vile, and early reviews from the indie genre circuit are already rolling in. The consensus? It’s gooey, unhinged, and proudly flying the flag for old-school midnight movies. Written by Robert Carrera and directed by Jason D. Morris, the twisted feature takes a standard “cabin in the woods” weekend and violently derails it into a circus of occult VHS weirdness, demonic possession, paranoia, and a metric ton of practical-FX gore. The Cast & Crew Facing the Inflation The Bay Area-based production company Dead End Films has built its identity on avoiding cheap digital shortcuts in favor of practical craftsmanship and genuine personality. Bringing this particular nightmare to life is an ensemble cast featuring Robert Carrera, Shelby Broadnax, and Justin Jobe. Justine Leverett, Scott Somers, Tony Sommers, Konnor Heredia, Timothy Waldron,
Continue reading →More latest articles
Home Sweet Horror: Paranoid Thriller ‘Tender’ Nabs Closing Night Spot at Dances with Films
If you think your current financial situation is stressful, writer and director Adam Hoelzel is here to make you feel a whole lot better about your bank account. Hoelzel is proud to announce that his debut directorial feature, Tender. It will celebrate its World Premiere as the prestigious Closing Night Film of Dances With Films in LA on June 28th. While it is his directing debut, Hoelzel is no stranger to high-stakes tension. He penned the screenplay for the Daniel Radcliffe-led thriller Beast of Burden. A Psychological Nightmare Described as a slow-burning psychological nightmare, the film follows a married couple drowning in debt. They unexpectedly stumble upon what looks like absolute financial salvation right inside the walls of their own house. Unfortunately for them, their initial jubilation quickly curdles into a toxic obsession. As their desperate plan to escape financial ruin spirals out of control, it breeds an infectious wave of suspicion, paranoia, and total psychological collapse. Blending escalating dread
Continue reading →
Trust Nobody, Especially Not the Toaster: Focus Features Unveils Trailer for ‘Hot Spot’
If you’re already stressed about algorithms controlling your life, Focus Features is ready to amplify that anxiety into a full-blown existential crisis. The studio has announced that Hot Spot, a hypnotic neo-noir thriller, will officially hit theaters this August. Ahead of its summer debut, a brand-new trailer gives audiences a glimpse into a world where tech support definitely won’t save you. Murder, Mayhem, and AI The film is set in a near-future where society is governed entirely by sentient artificial intelligence. It follows a weary private investigator tasked with investigating a murder. However, things quickly go off the rails when he uncovers a covert rebel faction possessing the exact tools needed to undermine their digital overlords. As the detective digs deeper into the cyber conspiracy, the investigation takes a psychologically charged turn. His very identity begins to unravel, sending his reality into a hypnotic, neon-drenched meltdown. While it is part classic detective story, part digital fever dream, it is a
Continue reading →
Crash Into the Shark-Filled Film ‘Deep Water’ – Out Now
Fasten your life vests and secure your tray tables, shark enthusiasts. The survival thriller Deep Water is officially ready to plunge you into an absolute worst-case scenario. Directed by action maestro Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger), this high-octane adventure boasts a stellar cast led by Golden Globe nominee Aaron Eckhart and Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley. The duo is officially reuniting for the first time since the 2004 serial killer thriller Suspect Zero. The Crash is Just the Beginning Imagine an international flight plummeting from the sky and crash-landing perfectly into shark-infested waters. As the fuselage begins to flood, panic surges among the surviving passengers. They are trapped inside a sinking metal tomb surrounded by hungry predators. To make it out alive, this highly mismatched group must overcome their differences and work together to escape the ultimate underwater death trap. A Director’s Childhood Dream Comes to Life For director Renny Harlin, bringing this wet-and-wild disaster to life is
Continue reading →
Spoiler-Free Reviews: MARGINALIA and BURNT FLOWERS (GenreBlast 2025)
MARGINALIA (U.S., 2025) Official synopsis: Summoned to Karnstein Abbey to serve as a mourner at the funeral of their recently deceased abbess, Sister Trista discovers a dark secret involving demons, witchcraft and killer rabbits. But Sister Trista has a secret of her own. Nunsploitation, a Hammer Films’ horror vibe, and the retro charm and surreal qualities of filmmaker Guy Maddin’s work: Writer/director/editor/cinematographer Mark Beal’s beautifully bizarre Marginalia has all this and more. This black-and-white supernatural feature will win cinephiles over with its atmosphere to spare, which includes impressive practical effects work, cool stop-motion creatures, and wonderful medieval set design, costumes, and illustrations. Composer Alexander Hellonious’s evocative score fits the proceedings perfectly. Beal kicks things off right away with one of the most imaginative demises you’re likely to see this year. The cast members do a fine job with their committed performances, led by Jessica Bell as Sister Trista. Beal does assured work at the helm, and as he did with
Continue reading →
Capps Crossing: Wrong Side of Dead – Because Trips to the Woods Always Go So Well
If horror movies have taught us anything, it’s that celebrating your birthday deep in the wilderness is basically an open invitation to be hunted. Lionsgate’s upcoming psychological thriller, Capps Crossing: Wrong Side of Dead, is here to prove that rule once again when it arrives On Demand and Digital on July 28. Directed by Mike Stahl, the film promises plenty of tension, psychological mind games, and a stark reminder never to trust the local park staff. Surviving the Ultimate Bad Trip The plot follows Amber, whose birthday getaway with friends goes sideways faster than you can say “scenic overlook.” Enter a demented park ranger with a deeply tortured past and a sudden urge to turn their weekend into a masterclass in terror. Fortunately for Amber, she’s not your average running-and-tripping horror protagonist. She’s a stellar athlete and a brilliant social profiler—meaning she’s got the brains to match her cardio. Forced to use every tool in her survival arsenal, Amber must
Continue reading →
One Last Trip to the Upside Down: Stranger Things Season 5 is Coming to Halloween Horror Nights
If you thought navigating the final season of Netflix’s global phenomenon from the safety of your couch was stressful, Universal Studios is about to ruin your heart rate completely. The Upside Down is officially staging its grand return to Halloween Horror Nights this fall with all-new haunted houses based entirely on the acclaimed fifth and final season of “Stranger Things.” The screaming officially starts on Friday, August 28, at Universal Orlando Resort and Thursday, September 3, at Universal Studios Hollywood. Hawkins is Collapsing (And You’re Invited) Developed in a very cozy partnership with Netflix, this year’s house drops you directly into the visceral, gripping center of the ultimate battle to save Hawkins. The barrier between reality and the supernatural is collapsing, and the local tourism board has clearly given up. As you navigate the wreckage, you’ll trek through iconic locations like the Wheeler House, the Hawkins National Laboratory, and the MAC-Z military base. Naturally, you’ll also take a stroll through
Continue reading →
Feel the Burn (And the Blade): Horror Flick ‘Slashercise’ is Ready to Kill Your Cardio
Get ready to work up a killer sweat—and maybe spill some actual blood. Part horror movie, part retro fitness tape, the genre mashup Slashercise is officially ready to slice into your workout routine. If you’ve ever felt like your gym’s personal trainers were trying to kill you, this movie is about to validate your worst fears. High Reps, High Body Count Written and directed by Ama Lea (Deathcember), this gloriously retro feature follows a masked psycho known only as Meathead. Meathead is actively stalking the trendy fitness clubs of Los Angeles. He’s turning neon-drenched workout sessions into total, blood-soaked nightmares. As the city’s top trainers are picked off one by one, a group of determined fitness fanatics has to band together to fight back before they become the next chalk outlines on the yoga mats. “Slashercise is a blood-soaked love letter to 1980s workout videos and slasher movies,” says filmmaker Ama Lea. The Class Roster: Horror Royalty in Spandex You
Continue reading →
First Teaser Drops for Dillon Brown’s Horror ‘A Man in the Woods with an Axe’
Horror Dadz Productions has officially unleashed the first teaser trailer for A Man in the Woods with an Axe, the latest genre-bending project from indie horror writer-director Dillon Brown. But before you start placing bets on the final girl or predicting the order of the teenage body count, the filmmakers have a blunt warning: this movie is a massive trap. The Bait-and-Switch: More ‘Truman Show’ Than ‘Friday the 13th’ While the title practically screams “camp counselor massacre,” Brown is using your love of 1980s backwoods slashers against you. What starts as a comforting, clichéd horror setup quickly morphs into a surreal nightmare. “We wanted the title to create certain expectations,” Brown teased. “The fun comes from pulling the rug out from under the audience. This isn’t simply a movie about a man in the woods with an axe. The deeper viewers go, the more they’ll realize something very unusual is happening beneath the surface.” Practical Effects > CGI In a
Continue reading →
Mad Cave Studios Announces ‘Escape from New York: Escape from Chicago’ Comic Series
He’s back, he’s still wearing the eyepatch, and no—he’s not dead. Mad Cave Studios is bringing John Carpenter’s ultimate antihero back to the printed page this fall with Escape From New York: Escape From Chicago. Launching this September, the new continuation series officially expands the dystopian, synth-scored world of the 1981 cult-classic film. Steering the escape pod for this adventure is writer Kyle Higgins (Radiant Black, No One), with artist Val Rodrigues (The Pale Knight). Together, they’re throwing Snake Plissken right back into the kind of high-stakes, maximum-violence chaos that defined ’80s sci-fi. Sweet Home, Dystopian Chicago You know the rules: once you go in, you don’t come out. Unless, of course, your name is Snake Plissken. This time around, Snake is scraping by as a “coyote.” He’s smuggling desperate people and highly illegal contraband across the heavily armed dead zones between fractured prison territories. It’s a miserable, brutal gig. But when a high-paying client hires him to extract a
Continue reading →
Dead Ends Films Drops First Trailer for Horror Comedy ‘The Yellow Balloon: The Curse of Vincent Vile’
If you thought Pennywise gave balloons a bad rap, wait until you meet Ringmaster Vincent Vile. Dead End Films has unleashed its micro-budget horror-comedy The Yellow Balloon: The Curse of Vincent Vile, and early reviews from the indie genre circuit are already rolling in. The consensus? It’s gooey, unhinged, and proudly flying the flag for old-school midnight movies. Written by Robert Carrera and directed by Jason D. Morris, the twisted feature takes a standard “cabin in the woods” weekend and violently derails it into a circus of occult VHS weirdness, demonic possession, paranoia, and a metric ton of practical-FX gore. The Cast & Crew Facing the Inflation The Bay Area-based production company Dead End Films has built its identity on avoiding cheap digital shortcuts in favor of practical craftsmanship and genuine personality. Bringing this particular nightmare to life is an ensemble cast featuring Robert Carrera, Shelby Broadnax, and Justin Jobe. Justine Leverett, Scott Somers, Tony Sommers, Konnor Heredia, Timothy Waldron,
Continue reading →